Born: May 30, 1980 – Apia, Samoa
Test record: 10 Tests (2001-04, 2006) – 5 tries (20 points)
Tours: 2002 tour of Britain and France

Henry Fa’afili was a cult hero on the wing during five seasons for the Warriors and represented New Zealand in 10 Test matches during the 2000s.

Born in Samoa, Fa’afili moved to New Zealand as a three-year-old and represented New Zealand Secondary Schools and Junior Kiwis (as a second-rower) in 1998.

The Manurewa product broke into the Warriors’ NRL line-up in 2000, cementing a spot on the flank during the second half of the season before playing five-eighth for Samoa at the World Cup in England.

Fa’afili enjoyed a breakout year for the burgeoning Warriors in 2001, playing every game as the club reached the finals for the first time and top-scoring with 14 tries. He also debuted for the Kiwis in a mid-season Test against France.

A crowd favourite for his inventive try celebrations, uncanny aerial ability and trademark cornrow hairstyle, Fa’afili played 17 games for the Warriors in 2002 but missed out on a wing spot in the club’s maiden grand final to Francis Meli and Justin Murphy. He tempered that disappointment by playing all six Tests of the Kiwis’ post-season program against Australia, Wales, Great Britain – including a hat-trick in the series-opening win at Blackburn – and France

Fa’afili scored nine tries in his first 10 appearances for the Warriors in 2003 and was a mainstay in their run to the preliminary final, before scoring a try in the Kiwis’ stunning 30-16 victory over the Kangaroos at North Harbour.

He was part of the midyear exodus from the Warriors during 2004 – after 94 games and 38 tries for the club – and linked with Warrington, but his only match for the Kiwis that year was at five-eighth in a narrow non-tournament win over France during the Tri Nations.

Fa’afili proved an outstanding buy for the Wolves – scoring 73 tries in 97 games – and dotted down in his last outing for New Zealand, a mid-2006 loss to Great Britain as part of a side predominantly made up of Super League-based players.

Switching to rugby union, Fa’afili played 10 Tests for Samoa in the 15-a-side code and had professional club stints in France (Biarritz Olympique), England (Leeds Carnegie) and Ireland (Connacht).